Software and Application Updates

Cybersecurity encompasses various technologies controls in addition to processes designed for the main purpose of ensuring that systems are adequately protected from different forms of cyber-attacks. The attacks often feature situations in which systems are exploited without authorization. Hackers often utilize exploit kits or even ransomware to disrupt the systems organizations can use. Safa et al. (2016), state that the damage expenses projected by 2021 owing to cybercrimes are at $6 trillion globally. Moreover, the rate at which cyber-attacks are bound to occur is anticipated to increase following a limitation in the personnel available to ensure that such occurrences are adequately combated. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey which was conducted in 2018 by the government in the UK indicated that enterprises whose scale of operation is large incur losses evaluated at £22,300. On the other hand, checkpoint.com. (n.d.) indicates that the expenses anticipated for small organizations are estimated at £2,310.  The report presented in the form of a letter to the chairman aims at indicating the strategies that the enterprise can rely on to integrate protocols that relate to cybersecurity and resilience.

The company should make updates to its software and application systems. Organizations are making the necessary shifts to ensure that they keep abreast with the IoT. The systems implemented must be capable of meeting market requirements. Moreover, they must be adequately secured for increased efficiency. For example, Štitilis et al. (2016), explain that Spectre is among the incidences that marked 2018. The outcome was that security fixes were issued by Apple. More specifically, the operating systems incorporated into the company’s iOS 11 mandated some improvement (Itgovernance.co.uk. n.d.). The result was that regardless of the devices in possession of different users, they are assured of protection from being victims of cyber-attacks.

The strategy must include security audits for different organizational levels. IT related practices and enterprise assets must be subjected to some scrutiny. The IT systems centrally used by the company can be reviewed (Quigley et al. 2015). Furthermore, departments dealing with end-users and other external parties should be made to participate in the procedures developed. The outcome anticipated is that protective measures can be adequately underscored and measures can be taken to ascertain that loopholes are eradicated. The circumstances evident at TransPerfect, which is an American company offering translation services, qualify the need for security audits. Cybercriminals were able to obtain social security, routing as well as bank account numbers of the employees (Min et al. 2015). Appropriate measures in place would have prevented anonymous from being received by workers affiliated with the company.

Security Audits for Organizational Levels

The corporation’s survival and exceptional performance depends on the education of the parties involved. Enterprises are answerable to various categories of stakeholders. They include workers, board members and other parties who might deal with the organization. Cybersecurity education is an essential factor that would ensure that potential risks are understood. Moreover, it provides the impetus through which proactive policies can be established (Gupta et al. 2016). For example, John Hopkins offers individuals skills applicable for their enterprises if they ensure that cyber attacks can be effectively prevented.

The company must strive to ensure that it complies with the regulations set concerning its industry of operation. Moreover, it is mandatory for enterprises to ascertain that compliance requirements which align with security provisions are adequately scrutinized (Johnston et al. 2016). The outcome is that necessary updates can be made for the enterprise’s IT system. The policies to which companies are necessitated to adhere to may be national or even regional. For example, businesses operational in Colombia are expected to align their activities with the stipulations of Law 1273. The regulation targeted cyberspace and was enacted in 2009. It aims at ensuring that information is protected as well as any data that may accrue to an enterprise. Individuals involved in network crimes involving telecommunication as well as information systems are not only liable to large fines, but also a prison sentence.

Additional standards that the enterprise can comply with in relation to the prevention of cyber-crimes include the framework provided for cybersecurity by NIST, HIPAA as well as ISO 27001. More specifically, the establishment can make use of the NIST Special Publication 800-53. The regulation concerns itself with controlling the privacy in addition to the security of organizations and the information systems that they use. For example, agencies affiliated with the government in America have implemented the standard as among the provisions enshrined in the Federal Information Security Management Act. Controls stipulated in 800-53 specify the practices mandatory for cloud computing and maintaining appropriate levels relating to digital privacy.

The enterprise must evaluate cybersecurity expertise that is available in-house. The experts that must be recruited can be determined to facilitate appropriate actions. Among the categories that must be considered include operational experts who guard data by solving issues that emanate from software obsolescence (Carr 2016). In addition, strategic experts engage in endeavors which are proactive to ensure that risks are effectively mitigated. For example, a Chief Information Security Officer can be recruited to oversee how the company can react to threats concerning its data. Furthermore, they can be tasked with the duty of developing best practices while offering assurance to stakeholders. However, the income attributable to an enterprise must be within the range of $1.5billion for professionals to be recruited for data security (Graves et al. 2016).

Cybersecurity Education

Vulnerabilities which are cybersecurity-related often originate from the priorities or attitudes that executive leaders indicate. The CISO must be guided by a mission that indicates the responsibilities that must be fulfilled. New regulations formulated with respect to the prevention of cyber-attacks include GDPR. Hence, knowledge that is specialized is a necessity as well as technical expertise. Thus, greater effort is being directed towards the provision of the education that executives might require. Institutions such as the Heinz School of Executive Education ensure that leaders can access an approach that is holistic to ensure that executives can perform their digital responsibilities effectively.

Furthermore, the enterprise may offer the indication that it requires the services availed by external consulting firms to combat cyber attacks. Outside resources are only suitable where operations limited and the risks anticipated are low. The revenue that accrues to an enterprise determines its risk (Schell 2015). Moreover, reliance on technology is also considered as a threshold that should be accorded some consideration.

The company can seek partnership with other organizations to facilitate efforts which are collaborative against cyber-crimes. Cyberspace does not offer protection for select enterprises while others are exposed. Hence, solidarity is encouraged to ensure that the threats which might ensue are adequately mitigated. For example, the battle against cyber-attacks has paved the way for the formulation of the SINCERE⁵ project (Anwar et al. 2017). The result is that island nations can co-operate with countries such as the UK as well as the States of Guernsey. The relationship was intended to facilitate the investigation into cyber-crimes, the provision of reports relating to prevalent incidences while facilitating mechanisms geared towards the sharing of information (Cavelty 2014). Similarly, the company can capitalize on the opportunities availed by other establishments to combat threats to enterprise data.

Company partners, as well as vendors, must be mandated to provide individual audits. Appropriate policies offer the possibility for an enterprise to acquire audit reports which are IT related regularly from parties with whom it may interact. Commvault and CITO research developed a report in 2017 which underscored the importance of the cloud to companies estimated at 18% (Wang et al. 2015). However, the trend is that data centers which are internally operational in an organization are becoming obsolete. Current preferences are for edge companies which are already running. The implication is that manufacturers who own plants which are located on areas which are deemed as remote can make use of robots which are automated in addition to production analytics where servers operating locally are used. Software security is a necessity for the devices which are to be used.

Compliance with Regulations

Organizations must determine the structure applicable for the provision of necessary reports. Cybersecurity procedures must be under the jurisdiction of an individual selected by the establishment (Shin et al. 2015). Final reports are mandatory for the chairman or even the C.E.O. The outcome is that assets in addition to important data can be safeguarded.

Policies that allow workers to utilize personal devices can be implemented. It should be expected that the productivity of workers will be enhanced owing to their reliance on devices which are considered as familiar. However, the likelihood of data being lost or stolen is much higher. The functions workers are to perform individually must be monitored and subjected to appropriate controls. Moreover, the systems accessible to employees must be limited to their designated duties.

Regardless of the measures that might be taken to implement policies which are effective, it is essential for awareness to be raised among respective parties. Workplaces can only be considered as secure where the parties involved are aware. Breaches evident in most enterprises often arise from the errors that people commit. For example, most employees opt for password options which can easily be recalled. The investigation report which was tabled by Verizon concerning data breaches indicated that 63% of the occurrences emanated from relying on passwords which were either stolen or weak (Gordon et al. 2015). Employees enjoy the liberty of ascertaining that desired programs are installed into their computers. Some of the applications increase the ease through which organizational systems can be compromised. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that employees learn strategies that would ensure they utilize technological applications more securely.

Securing the data that accrues to an enterprise mandate that investments directed towards the acquisition of various technologies must be made. The Federal Communications Commission which is located in the US insists that enterprises are better suited to fight off viruses and different forms of threats that might be evident online when they install updated security software versions, web browsers as well as operating systems (Cavelty and Mauer 2016). India is among the nations with the highest prevalence of software which is pirated. The result is that companies that elect to purchase counterfeit innovations can easily succumb to the threats evident online. Moreover, firewalls must also be applied to assess any traffic generated by sources that exist externally from an enterprise. Parameters that relate to company security must be efficiently determined.

Threat models can be relied on for the ROI that accrues to cybersecurity to be maximized. The strategy would help to ensure the response given is effective for appropriate mitigation measures to be used. Security architecture can be customized. Moreover, endeavors can also be directed toward the development of company-specific processes that manage risks arising from cyber-attacks. For example, the ODNI Cyber Threat Framework is among the programs formulated by the government in America to ascertain that threat events could be consistently categorized. Through the guideline, trends and modifications can be highlighted in relation to the activities that cyber adversaries might choose to undertake.

Cybersecurity Expertise In-house

Enterprises must adopt approaches which are improved to deal with the threats which might ensue. Threat hunting must include measures which are proactive. Hence, approaches that involve passive measures including logging, performing some monitoring activities and issuing alerts is among the practices that enterprises should desist from. Platforms which integrate various security operations are more preferable. For example, the portfolio can include Security Operations Analytics Platform Architecture as well as SOAR related solutions. The implication is that SIEM, utilized traditionally can be overlooked. Moreover, compliance artifacts can be subjected to automatic generation. The result is that the artifacts can be subjected to some analysis to determine the security posture that would be deemed as proactive for the organization. Static code scanning is among the discrete activities that can be undertaken.

Recommendations on how the company should initiate a cyber resilience policy at the corporate board level

The board in charge of the functions relating to an enterprise must assume responsibility where cyber resilience is concerned. However, it can also decide to delegate its duties to committees which might be inexistent. Cybersecurity mandates that an officer should oversee the responsibilities that may ensue. It is necessary for the officer to access the board regularly. Moreover, the authority bestowed on the individual must be sufficient. Adequate resources should also be at the individual’s disposal for then to adequately fulfill their responsibilities.

The board should opt for an approach that is based on risk where cybersecurity is concerned. Through the assessment of potential risks, valuable assets can be identified. The security requirements of the enterprise can also be determined (Boopathi et al. 2015). Moreover threats to organizational data and their implication for the bottom line set.

The company’s board must ensure that its policy for cybersecurity is written down. The outcome is that it can serve as a formal guide that is centralized in relation to various practices that must be observed by all parties (Wong et al. 2017). The document can serve to guarantee that the objectives of security specialists and individuals employed by the company align. Moreover, rules for the enforcement of data protection can be based on the policy.

Updates must be implemented in relation to cybersecurity. Malware targets security vulnerabilities which are already known. However, software which featuring updates that are newly formulated is more likely to ensure that the data belonging to an enterprise remains secure. In addition, back-ups must be created for the company’s data. Ransomware encrypts data ensuring that they are blocked from being accessible. Hackers may demand some money in exchange for decryption keys (Kott 2014). Files which are routinely stored away assist in processes that pertain to the recovery of data while keeping potential losses to a minimum.

Priorities and Attitudes of Executive Leaders

The company must impose some limitations in regards to the parties allowed to access data that is sensitive. Establishments operating at a scale that is limited offer new recruits privileges which ease their access to information that should be confidential. Hence, additional risks are presented for the enterprise. Privileges must only be escalated depending on the services that workers offer the organization.

Account protection can also rely on two-factor authentication. Physical devices which include mobile devices, as well as security tokens, are relied on for the confirmation of an employee’s identity. The precaution is that the devices used must not be lost or even stolen. The result is that individuals who make use of shared accounts can be distinguished to ease procedures relating to access control.

Conclusion

Cyber-attacks are bound to instigate some damages which are irreparable for an organization. Data is often categorized as a valuable asset attributable to an enterprise. However, it is often quite vulnerable, and measures which are sufficient must be implemented to ensure its security. Appropriate systems are critical for the prevention of security breaches. Incorporating devices which are individually used in addition to various operating systems is also critical. Professions conversant with new threats can be recruited to ascertain that the possibility of disastrous attacks occurring is minimized.

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